"Contact was very clear and I couldn't believe it," says the Latics chief

Furious: Roberto Martinez says his side should have had a penalty at Everton

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez launched a scathing attack on referee Lee Mason, after a second controversy in four days.

The Spanish boss was furious with a dive by Theo Walcott at the weekend he claims cost his side points against Arsenal, and this time he hit out after the official refused to give his side a penalty.

And at Goodison yesterday Everton's Leon Osman appeared to make slight contact, as visiting striker Shaun Maloney went down theatrically, but the Wigan boss expressed his disbelief when he said: "As an experienced referee you know that Shaun didn't need to dive, because he was in a great position one on one with the keeper, so that's why the decision was a real surprise.

"It is hard to understand. The reaction of Osman tells you everything - he ran away thinking he got away with it. He wasn't angry, he didn't try to say he dived. Contact was very clear and I couldn't believe it.

"The scoreline was very hard to take after that. You watch the game we do feel we deserve a positive result. Shaun was one on one with the keeper in a great position, past his man and he simply had no need to go down."

Replays seemed to show minimal contact, leaving Everton to take victory thanks to goals from Osman and Phil Jagielka, which leaves Wigan anchored in the bottom three and facing a relegation fight.

But their manager is confident they will rise clear of the danger zone, just as they did last year.

"There is not much wrong. It's true we need to do better in both boxes, but we are playing well, and the truth is if you play well you can build something and get some momentum, and find the consistency to win matches."